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Monthly Archives: December 2015

We are all healthy, so we made a short trip up to Fulton to celebrate Neil’s birthday. By all accounts, it was a good day. There was family, there were gifts, there was lunch at Neil’s favorite Italian restaurant, and there was this:

We occasionally have Pizza Picnics; Neil has an affinity for eating on the floor.

Last night, and again this morning, we learned that Sonya can stand unassisted, for food. She is walking all over the house with her push toy/push car. Her legs are strengthening and she is so happy to move as a biped. She’ll even take the soft boxes holding our clothe napkins, put it on the floor, and use it as a walker.

As the long-term models forecast, we are having a very warm and mostly dry start to December. People are mentioning how beautiful the days are. At the daily time step, I agree. But, thinking more long term – years to decades, I’m a little freaked out. These are the signs that the future is here. That is, us Northeastetners are living in the period that always seemed so far away – the period of human-induced climate change, the so-called Anthropocene (El Niño is in the title and is a natural process, but it on top of a warning ocean and altered atmosphere ramp up the warming). Karen recalled that the past weekend reminded her of Alon’s first winter, 2011-2012’s Year without a Winter.

So, my attempts to put the freakiness aside and knowing that the folks in Paris and elsewhere are trying their best to avoid a nightmarish future, we got outside and played with the children.

From Friday through Sunday it was spectacularly warm with Tengri blue sky days. Sonya and Alon enjoyed being out. Sonya cackled while doing her toy-assisted walking. Alon explored, pushed his boundaries, yelled, and sang. Here is some evidence.
Friday Eve Sliding
Saturday Strolling

Alon hooping on a near-regulation basket

Ecological Observation – the winter moths (?) are having a productive December.

Program Update: Alon is learning to read and spell. ‘Sky’ is his first word spelled.

Alon and Neil took in their first Sip ‘n Stroll in Maynard. It is an event where the city tree is lit and the downtown stores decorate their windows, throw open their doors, and entice scocializing/shopping. Three groups of carolers were on the streets and musicians played at one of our two coffee shops.

Finally, we lit our Chanukah candles last night and we exchanged gifts. We also put up our Solstice Tree. Sonya, the water splasher that she is, immediately made her way to the base of the tree to splash.